Chapter 13 - Victor Tells Adrian the Truth Victor asked Adrian to meet
alone.
Adrian almost refused.
Then Sophie told him, “You tell me not to run away from hard talks.”
He stared at his seven-year-old daughter.
“That was unfair.”
She smiled.
“It worked.”
They met at Victor’s penthouse.
The gold chair was gone.
Victor had moved it after the day Emily opened the case.
Adrian noticed.
“Where’s the throne?”
Victor almost smiled.
“Storage.”
“Good.”
They sat across from each other.
Victor began without defense.
“I failed you.”
Adrian said nothing.
“I approved Lantern because I wanted Kane Biomedical to lead genetic
medicine.”
“You wanted the valuation.”
“Yes.”
The answer surprised Adrian.
Victor continued.
“I told myself the research would save children. That was partly true.”
“And partly convenient.”
“Yes.”
“When I warned you?”
“I thought you were young and dramatic.”
Adrian laughed bitterly.
“I was thirty.”
“I know.”
Victor looked down.
“When you disappeared, I told people you died because I was ashamed.”
Adrian stared.
“Of me?”
“Of what your disappearance said about me.”
There it was.
The selfish part.
Adrian’s eyes filled.
Victor continued.
“I turned your protest into a tragedy because tragedy made me look like
a grieving father instead of a man whose son had run from him.”
Adrian looked away.
Victor did not ask forgiveness.
Instead, he gave Adrian documents transferring the remaining Kane
Biomedical legacy assets into an independent medical ethics foundation.
“No family control?”
“None.”
“Why?”
“Because I spent too long believing ownership made me responsible.”
Victor looked at his son.
“It mostly made me powerful.”
Adrian read the documents.
Emily and Sophie would never be beneficiaries based on their genetics.
Their education trusts would be ordinary, equal, and unrelated to
research.
Adrian nodded.
“That’s better.”
Not forgiveness.
But recognition.
Victor took it.
Meanwhile, Nora and Sophie worked with a therapist to build a
relationship without forcing intimacy.
Sophie called her Nora at first.
Nora allowed it.
One afternoon, Sophie accidentally called her Mom.
Both froze.
Sophie looked frightened.
Nora smiled.
“You can call me whatever feels right.”
Sophie’s shoulders relaxed.
Later, Nora cried in the car for twenty minutes.
Emily found the entire process fascinating.
“Do I have to share my room?”
“No,” Nora said.
“Good.”
“Do you want to?”
“No.”
“Also good.”
Emily eventually asked Adrian if he was her father too.
He answered carefully.
“Biologically, yes.”
Emily stared.
“So you’re Dad?”
“If you want me to be part of your life, I want that very much.”
Emily considered.
“You have to learn my birthday.”
Adrian’s face broke.
“I know your birthday.”
“What’s my favorite cake?”
He failed.
Emily crossed her arms.
“Training begins tomorrow.”
Nora laughed.
It was absurd.
Tender.
Painful.
Real.
Miriam entered a federal cooperation agreement.
She faced consequences for unauthorized data use.
Harris faced professional review for his role in the covert operation
and his earlier failures.
He did not lose his license, but restrictions and ethics oversight
followed.
He accepted them.
Reeves faced extensive criminal charges.
Nobody called the outcome perfect justice.
Too much time had passed.
Too many records were damaged.
But the machinery had stopped.
Then the hospital contacted Nora.
During the audit, they found one final sealed item from the night of the
twins’ birth.
A letter.
Written by a nurse who had tried to report the transfer.
May you like
Addressed to Nora.
It had never been delivered.
